The City of Broken Dreams
by Zakemur
Summary: A Midwestern city in the United States, hidden from the eyes of the real world, filled with fairytale characters, has been the capital of crime for many years. Gangs roaming the streets, evil wizards plotting against King Cole's rule, former royalty is exploiting the poor. Here no one lives happily ever after. Everything changes when a "stowaway" from the human world sneaks in.


Chapter I: With Ends Are the Begginings

"Snow White! Snow White!" A man in a long grey coat hiding his face and a black fedora covering his hair yelled running into a small apartment with white walls and barely any furniture, pushing away the dwarves that stood in the way. They all fell on the ground, but pick themselves up and got ready for a fight.

"Stowaway, you are back!" A pale young girl in a black blouse and a long white skirt jumped from a small coffin yelling in excitement. The dwarves calmed down, shocked from seeing Snow White waking up from her fatal sleep.

"Oh, thank God you are finally awake. Rumplestiltskin managed to stop the reversal of your happy ending. The mob failed." The man announced with little enthusiasm, like the announcement was to be followed by something more serious.

"Dwarves should tell everyone the news…" Snow White tried to explain, but the man cut her off

"There is no time, Rumple told me you are the only person who knows the location of the poison silver bullets. We need to stop the mob before sundown or they will take over the city in a heartbeat. Big Bad Wolves are not the kind of people…*cough*…werewolves you joke around with."

"We can't, do you realize what people will do when they see me awakened and with you? They will think a stowaway broke my curse with true love's kiss and I do not think the dwarves will manage to tell everyone on time." Snow White explained in panic.

"We are on it!" Grumpy said and all of the seven dwarves started running across the megalopolis to inform the people.

"There might be a riot..." The man sighed and thought for a moment, he continued: "We still need to take that risk."

Snow White looked at him worriedly, but then something snapped within her and she nodded.

"Let's go. This city needs to learn a lesson for once, that rumors or disapproval of immigrants from the real world is not the main concern in this conflict, but that the transition to the open rule by the BBW will lead to our enslavement. The gun is hidden in my shop, we need to get it as soon as possible." She announced standing up on her feet from the coffin.

"And I will do the dirty work…" Stowaway mumbled. It sounded that all the purpose of his existence

"Unfortunately you are the who can do it, the gun only works in the hand of someone from your side of the World. I am so sorry, Stowaway". Snow White grabbed his hand.

"I should not be doing this, but yet I need to… Ironically, how a small fight with my girlfriend led me to this path. If she had not crossed the forbidden zone, I would still be home…"

"Everything happens for a reason, Stowaway. We don't have much time left."

The two got out of the building and went straight to Main Street that was not far from them. The skyscrapers owned by former royalty, built of marble, with rare enchanted glass stood in front of them as they ran towards Snow White's shop. It was in the former location of Snow White's skyscraper, demolished by the notorious mob.

People were already staring at Snow White and the Stowaway. There were a lot of talks going on and dirty looks given to the two.

"Snow White has been awoken by the stowaway". Came from one side. "The stowaway and Snow White, this is not how the story goes." From the other.

Snow White grabbed Stowaway's hand in protest to the crowd.

"What are you doing?!" Stowaway whispered to her angrily. "Are you trying to start a riot?!"

"Exactly." Snow White whispered back.

"I do not know if it is such a good idea."

"After what will happen today it is the best idea of all." Snow White smiled and pulled the guy towards the shop. More and more people showed their disdain with the two. Crowds formed, some followed even followed them for a while, no one seemed happy about the situation

"I barely turned eighteen when I inherited my mother's skyscraper and six months later, here we are now, going to what is left of it." Snow White complained on the way.

"That's where owning debts to these bastards gets you." Stowaway noted.

"Debts that I was paying off." Snow White pronounced quietly and angrily.

"Debts that never existed in the first place…" Stowaway added putting his hand on Snow's shoulder.

"Snow…" For the first time ever he called her that. "I will stop them. I will avenge your parents, the Wolves won't get away with this, with all of this."

"The irony…" Snow smirked "At first you are here in our city, searching for your girlfriend, denying our pleas, and now you are committed at helping the cause. I've never actually understood what happened to your initial mission."

"It disappeared…" Stowaway whispered.

"What do you mean?" Snow widened her eyes questioning the saddened man.

"It literally disappeared…she disappeared in thin air, right in front of me…" Stowaway continued, tears streaming from his face. "I and Rumple found out that she could not have stayed here at any rate, because she was not from this World. She was gone for too long…Way to f***** long, Snow. If I found her even one hour prior, she would have survived, I would have had my happy ending…"

"Stowaway…I am sorry…" Snow said surprised and demoralized.

"People call me a stowaway, but the fact that I exist here right now shows that I am not foreign to this ugly city." Stowaway smirked.

"Who are you supposed to be then?" Snow White asked opening the door to her small antique shop.

"Well, I do not know myself, you are the only person in the whole city who has the gun and who has the book that take cares both of our problems." Stowaway noted holding the door for Snow.

"I'll bring you the Book Of Fables…"

"Be sure to add a new story to the book after today." Stowawy commented, but Snow White was not listening, she widened her eyes and looked at the book in shock

"Oh, my…" She looked at Stowaway in horror.

"What's going on?" Stowaway looked at her with great curiousity.

"You…you…are…a Lich King…" Snow White said with a shaking voice.

"A Lich King? What kind of fairytale is that?" Surprised, Stowaway couldn't keep himself from laughing

"Basically, your real name is Koschei the Deathless. You kidnapped a princess, and the price liberated her from you by finding a way to defeat you. To put it simply, you are an immortal being, who's soul is in a needle, which is hidden in an egg, that is within a duck, that is within a hare, and the hare is within an iron chest…" Snow White read from the book.

"This is the weirdest fairytale I have heard in my life." Stowaway commented.

"Well, you are him believe it or not. Your file is enclosed in the book…" Snow White showed him a small folder.

"Snow, this must be some sort of a mix up, I am the same age as you are." Stowaway tried to refute the fact, but Snow White announced:

"Here is your birth-death-birth certificate. Apparently, you were not dead when the prince found the needle and broke it to kill your soul. This is not in the fairytale, but you were reduced to a baby, it erased all your memories. When we moved to the city, you were sent outside of time by someone unknown, and you were deemed missing. Someone in this city worked his way to make you age…" Snow was in the middle of her explanation when Rumplestilskin suddenly apparead, causing Snow White to drop the book and fall on the ground."

"…To make you as powerful as you were, Deary. It was from a small price, of course. It was a rainy morning when I received an anonymous letter with an item I was searching for a long time."

"What kind of item?" Snow White asked, curious to know the truth about her friend.

"Ah, you see, it was a book. A book that I lost when everyone decided they no longer wanted to live in their forsaken World. By the way, Snow White, remember how the Council of Kings made a deal with me? They gave me all the objects that they favored the most?"

"Is that relevant now?" Snow White asked angrily.

"Oh, yes it is, because I am here to collect two items that were promised to me by these contracts." Rumlestilskin took two pieces of paper and gave it to Snow White.

"The Book of Fables? This can't be right…" Snow White shook her head.

"Let me ask you this question, Deary. Where did you find this book? Was it on the street? In a garbage can? Somewhere that I could not possibly put it?" Rumplestilskin asked angrily.

"All the fables…" Snow White wanted to say, but something kept her from mumbling a word. It looked like she almost wanted to cry.

"Rumple…Why are you doing this right now? This is not the time!" Stowaway stood up after noticing Snow Whites reaction.

"Oh, this is a very good time to collect my debt, a very good time indeed. You must be on your way to the Wolves anyway. I doubt they will be a problem, since you are Deathess. " Rumplestilskin smiled looking Koschei directly in the eyes.

"NO!" Suddenly Snow White cried as loud as she could. "Father could never do this to me. NO!"

"Snow!" Koschei ran to the girl's aid.

"That leads me to the second item. This is the only reason I reversed your happy ending, the only reason I saved your soul… You were promised to me as a servant!" Rumplestiskin announced laughing constantly.

"Stowaway, grab the dagger on the shelf, NOW!"Snow commanded with a breaking, but loud voice. Koschei reacted quickly enough and grabbed the dagger with Rumplestilskin's name.

"DARK ONE, I…" Before Snow White could yell the key phrase to her friend, Rumplestilskin had already put his hand over her mouth.

"Now, now, Deary. I would not advice using it. Why don't we make a deal?" Rumplestilskin offered.

"The time for deals is over, Rumple. Give Snow back!" Koschei commanded.

"A-a-a, you have to say the magic word! Now listen carefully, if I don't have that dagger back, your friend will suffer the worst death imaginable. I will teleport her to my castle, and there, she will be done for. You should know what I am talking about, Koschei, you did it with everyone in your past life. The only way to save her is to make a deal. In fact, wasn't I your main ally throughout your arrival to this hostile city?"

Koschei just remained silent looking at the dagger. Then he threw it to Rumplestilskin:

"Deal." He barely pronounced.

"Excellent choice." Rumplestilskin smiled and disappeared, throwing Snow White at Koschei. He also left the Book of Fables untouched.

"Stowaway, you gave him his dagger, he will be unstoppable…" Snow White looked at her savior.

"So am I, Snow." Koschei gave Snow White his hand, helping her to stand up.

"I think we have bigger problems than the Wolves, they are just a distraction… I think Rumple has to do everything with all of this… We need to reason with the Wolves, he wanted them killed using Silver Bullets." Snow commented.

Koschei looked at her widening his eyes. He paced around the shop without dropping a single word for a few minutes. Sometimes he would stop, look at snow with his lifeless eyes, it looked like he wanted to say something, but could not. Snow White who was creeped out by the sudden silence decided to break it:

"So, got any plans?" She asked looking at him, waiting for an answer, but no use.

Suddenly Koshchei with a grin on his face approached Snow White.

"Snow, I do not think this is the way to go… Let's leave the city… We can talk to the Wolves, but that's about it, that way we can eradicate them at least. They will try to get Rumple, he will kill him, which gives us enough to run… Rumple told me the next opening is in five years, we can return later. I survived out there, I bet you will too. " Koschei suggested putting his hand on Snow White's shoulder.

"No, you can't be serious." Snow White smiled like it was some kind of a joke, noticing a smile on her face Koshcei smiled back:

"I am not joking, Snow. We should leave this place, temporarily. This is not the best time to be here. Rumple will make our lives hell in a day or two." He explained murmuring, almost whispering.

She looked at him with great surprise and disappointment, the Stowaway, who did not give up against all odds, turned in to a magical immortal being, who gave up so easily. Shocked she did not know what to do, despair filled her and started to suffocate. She removed his hand from her shoulder:

"How COULD YOU?! You are as powerful as Rumplestilskin, and you are just going to abandon everyone? YOU SHOULD HAVE STABBED HIM! LET ME DIE AND LET HIM DIE! MY SACRIFICE WOULD HAVE BEEN WORTH IT!" Snow White shrieked scaring Koschei enough that he backed a few steps away from her. She then started to cry loudly.

"Snow…" Koschei took a step closer, to calm the girl down.

"I…I…had all my hopes in you Koschei, that you would make a difference…That you would save this forsaken city, save me and let my mother's soul rest in peace. Looks like I had hopes in a wrong person, I cannot expect anything from a former villain…" She said through tears, Koshchei started to back away again.

"Only if you knew that life is not a fairytale, you would be better off Snow. I am sorry it had to end this way, but I will not stand here taking lectures from you of what I should do. Your shop is going to be the first thing Rumple will come after, like he did today. I don't you to get hurt Snow, I care about…"

Snow White glanced at him with unimaginable anger, a smile from irony and anger emerged on her face.

"Your girlfriend just disappeared in to thin air, and you already are searching for someone to care for. You are a pathetic character, from a pathetic fairytale. You will live with this eternally, but you know what Koschei, I won't." She said and took an apple from her pocket.

"Wait…What are you doing?" Koshei asked in horror looking at Snow White as she was about to take a bite, he knocked out the apple from her hand. This moment an idea came to his mind.

"What do you think you are doing?! Let me leave this World in peace!" Snow White shrieked again and tried to take the apple that fell just far enough from her reach.

"You gave me an idea, we are stopping Rumple." Koschei announced proudly and cheerfully. Snow was stun again by the announcement.

"Are you messing with my head you ugly wizard?"

"No. Rumplestilskin might not be killed, that's true, but he might be defeated. The apple will definitely put him to sleep."

"You did not think your plan through! He was the one to free me from the curse of the apple a second time. He might be immune." Snow White murmured standing up and wiping her tears off.

"He is not immune, trust me. The antidote is given after the poison is applied, and he won't even know what hit him. I know just the person for the job…" Koschei announced and gave the silver gun to the surprised girl.

"You are going to talk to the Wolves, explain the situation. I do not think they will be happy to see me after the incident on Main Street. Three shops, three wolves down and two wounded and only one, the strongest, is alive. The good news is that he knows who you are, and well, he told me he'll spare your life if you talk to him. Tell him everything that happened."

"Big Bad Wolf wants to hear me out? That's a first. He robbed me of my wealth and threatened to kill me, and now he wants to talk. I should have never given the wolves their human form." Snow smirked and looked up to the ceiling, giving Koschei's words a thought.

"Are you sure this is going to work?" She asked, her voice still croaky from all the crying and screaming.

"It was your idea in the first place, talk to the wolves. The gun is just a precaution. Tell them everything, from the beginning. They have enough power to make a difference" Koschei said smiling, relieved that Snow White pulled through this event unharmed.

"What are you going to do?" Snow asked worriedly.

"I am going after Rumple. If my apple idea does not work, we'll see how Deathless I am This is going to be hell of a night for us both." Koschei commented.

"G…good luck…" Snow stuttered looking down on the floor.

_The two left the shop, and their ways parted, but for how long nobody knows…_


End file.
